How to Create a Hub Using The HubTool

How to Use the HubTool: Video Tutorial

Understanding the HubPages HubTool

Once you've picked out the title, URL, Topic, and starting layout for your Hub, you will be taken to the HubTool, which is the place where you will edit and assemble your Hub.

The HubTool allows you to add and edit text, video, photos, maps, polls, tables, and all sorts of other features and place them where you see fit on the page.

When creating a Hub (which is what we call a topical article), we recommend the bulk of your writing be broken up into multiple Text Capsules. To make your Hub more engaging, we encourage you to spice up the text with additional relevant capsules, such as Photo Capsules, Poll Capsules, and the like.

Let's take a quick walk through the HubTool features and review how they can help you create the best piece of content for your topic on the Web.

Quick Links to Specific Elements

Feel free to skip ahead to the following sections should you want to learn about a specific element right away:

Title Your Hub

If you click on the title of your Hub, you can edit or change it. Note: you cannot change the URL of your Hub after having created it. For more information, visit our Learning Center guide on the elements of a good title.

Update Your Summary Text

We strongly advise adding customized summaries to your Hubs- something you can do by clicking inside the summary text box below your title.

For additional tips, visit our Learning Center guide with advice on creating strong summaries. Any Hubs that do not have a summary will have an "A" by them on your My Account page. Your summary is not visible on your Hub; it is shown on feeds, listing, carousels, and on search results pages.

How to Add More Capsules to Your Hub

Capsules are the building blocks of your Hub. They are specific modules that you select to best present your content. The default starting layout is comprised of: Text, Photo (Image), and Comments (from visitors to your Hub).

You can add multiple capsules of any type (for example, two Text Capsules, a Photo Capsule, a Video Capsule, another Text Capsule). Click on each capsule, add it to the page, and it will appear in the "Organize Your Content" box.

You can also add capsules anywhere in your Hub by clicking the blue "Add" button that scrolls with your mouse pointer to the left of your capsules. This feature allows you to easily add capsules anywhere in your Hub.

Please note: Amazon Comments Capsules are not allowed as the first full width capsule of a Hub.

Add A Capsule Box

Reorder Your Hub Capsules

"Organize Your Content" box to the right of your Hub is where you can arrange capsules within your Hub. Simply drag and drop the boxes around and they will be rearranged on your Hub.

If you would like a capsule floated to the right, double click the box. To return the capsule to full width, double click the box again. You can also reorder your capsules using the red arrows at the top of every capsule box, and float them using the right pointing arrow.

Note: Not all capsules can be floated to the right.

The "Organize Your Content" box

Update Your Hub's Settings

Click on the Settings tab to turn ads on or off and see the status of your Hub.

Preview, Save and Publish Your Hub

Preview: This launches the Hub in a lightbox for you to see what it will look like in its published form (this does NOT save the Hub).

Save Unpublished: Saves your Hub, but does not publish it. You should use this button if you need to spend more time working on your Hub before it’s ready to show to the world.

Publish: Will save and publish the Hub for the world to see.

When you return to a Hub that you Saved Unpublished, the buttons change a little:

Preview: Same as above.

Publish Now: Will publish the Hub for the first time.

Done Editing: Saves your Hub but does not publish it.

When you edit a previously published Hub the buttons change yet again:

Preview: Same as above.

Unpublish Now: Will unpublish the Hub and no one will see it.

Done Editing: Republishes your Hub and your readers will see the new content.

Creating About the Author Biographies

About the Author Biographies are a great way to showcase your expertise and passion for a subject and build credibility. The tool lets you display a short (80 to 140 characters) biography about yourself on a Hub or group of Hubs. You can have up to 25 biographies saved at a time (per account). A bio can appear on as many Hubs as you want, but each Hub can only have one bio.

We recognize that many Hubbers write on a variety of topics. About the Author allows you to customize your bio to the topic of your Hub. For example, if you write about Mexican Culture and have Hubs categorized in the Food, Travel, and Education topics, you can create one bio to display on these Hubs.

Similarly, if you write about DIY topics, you can have a bio about that. Or, if you write about DIY Jewelry and DIY furniture, you can have two separate DIY bios. This feature is designed to be flexible and you can use in whatever way makes the most sense for you and your Hubs.

How to Place a Bio on Your Hub

There are two ways to place a bio on a Hub: in the HubTool and in My Account.

The HubTool

Click the drop-down menu in the "Display Options" box to add a new bio, edit an existing bio, or place an existing bio on your Hub. While in the HubTool, you only have control over the bio displayed on that particular Hub. Click the Save button in this section to apply any change. When adding a bio or making changes to it in the HubTool, you must click this local save button (not Done Editing at the top of the page) for your changes to actually get saved.

The About the Author setting in the HubTool.

My Account

If you wish to add a bio to a group of Hubs all at once or to simply manage your collection of bios, you can do so in My Account > Hubs > About the Author.

To create a bio in My Account > Hubs > About the Author, follow these steps:

Visit the page

Click on the Add Bio button

Enter your bio in the box at the top. It must be 140 characters or less.

To add Hubs to your Bio, click on the add buttons next to each Hub title. Use the search box to find specific Hubs.

Click Save.

On this page you can also manage your complete collection of bios. Click the edit button to make changes, or the delete button to completely remove a bio.

Writing Effective About the Author Biographies

How to Edit Your Capsules

Edit your capsules by mousing over a capsule you would like to update and clicking on the "edit" button at the top of the capsule. You can delete capsules by clicking on the white X.

The Text Capsule

How To Use the Text Capsule

The Text Capsule allows you to insert written content into your Hubs, either directly or cut-and-pasted from another text editor.

To use the Text Capsule:

Click the "edit" button.

Enter in a subtitle related to your text (this is optional).

Enter in text: If you have already written the content for this capsule in another application, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word, simply cut and paste the content into the capsule. You also have the option to write content directly in to the Text Capsule.

Edit text: The capsule offers several editing options, including the ability to cut, copy, and paste text, bold, italicize and underline your words, check spelling, indicate large sections of quotations, adjust formatting, format numbered and bulleted lists, undo mistakes, insert special characters and URL links, and even add superscripts and subscripts. If you are more comfortable editing your content in HTML, you also have an option to enter and edit your text through an HTML source editor. To do so, simply click the HTML icon, make any necessary adjustments, and click the “update to editor” button.

When you are finished editing the content of your Text Capsule, click the “Save” button.

Pro Tip: Don't Forget Subtitles!

Adding search-friendly subtitles (that is, capsule subtitles that reflect common terms people woud type into search engines) to Text Capsules can go a long way toward making your Hubs more search-friendly.

We therefore recommend that you make a point of breaking your Hubs into multiple Text Capsules and giving each one a search-friendly subtitle.

As an added bonus, this makes your Hubs easier to scan and more friendly to rushed online readers with limited attention spans.

Convenient Text Capsule Features

The Text Capsule may seem like a very simple, straightforward element of the HubTool, but it is packed with a surprisingly large number of useful features. Make sure you're getting the most out of everything this capsule has to offer!

Some of the Text Capsule's most convenient and useful features include...

Resizable edit area - After clicking "edit" on a Text Capsule, you can hold your mouse down when it is over the lower right corner of the edit box and drag the corner in order to size the edit window comfortably for your screen.

Keyboard short-cut - While typing text into a Text Capsule, you can strike ctrl-e. This will automatically select the nearest word and launch the link dialog. From there you can hit enter to search for relevant Hubs and use keyboard navigation to select the Hub you want to link to. This allows you to add links to your text without taking your hands away from the keyboard.

Word count - the number of words in your text will appear at the top of the edit dialog, while you are editing a Text Capsule.

Hub search via linking tool (the chain icon) - search for Hubs that are relevant to your selected word, or phrase. This search takes into account the Topic of your Hub. So, the results should be both more convenient and more relevant while you edit your capsule than opening another browser window to search for Hubs to link to. To link to other Hubs, highlight the word you would like to hyperlink; click the link icon in the tool bar; use the drop down box to search for "Hubs"; and choose a Hub you would like to link to.

Search your own Hubs via linking tool (the chain icon) - the link tool allows you to search the entire HubPages site for related links as well as your own Hubs. This tool should create a more convenient way to link to your own Hubs, especially if you have a lot of them. The instructions are the same as above except, when clicking the drop down box in the link tool, click "My Hubs".

Affiliate links via linking tool (the chain icon)- the link tool will also allow you to search for Amazon products appropriate to your Hub and create links to them. The instructions are the same as above except when clicking the drop down box in the link tool, click "Amazon". NOTE: When linking to Amazon Products through the Text Capsule, please disclose clearly and conspicuously within that Text Capsule that that the link is an affiliate link.

Automatic autosave and multiple drafts- The HubTool and text capsule have an autosave feature that will save your work periodically.

Network Connection

Using autosave drafts

As long as you have a connection to the HubPages servers, the text capsule will automatically save uncommitted changes every 2 minutes.

There is also a green or red indicator that displays the current status of your connectivity to the site.

Green means you are connected to the server and autosaves should take place.

Red means you are not connected to the server and any unsaved changes may be lost

After the first autosave, a new link appears in the text capsule that says “recover draft".

This link will only appear when there is one or more saved drafts available.

Each time that an autosave is done, the following message appears: “Draft saved at … on …!”.

To recover a recent draft, click the “recover draft” link.

You will then see a list of the last 5 drafts saved.

You can select on any of these drafts to review it and can check to see what was saved before you decide to recover it.

When you click on a draft choice, you will see a tabs (View selected Draft) with two additional buttons (use and cancel).

You can now scroll through the preview to check that the draft is the version you would like to recover.

Click the “use” button to select the current draft and use that saved content in the text capsule.

If you are unsure, you can click the "Select a draft to view or recover" tab and return to the list of drafts.

Click the "Cancel" button if you do not want to recover any autosaved content. It will close the window.

Hiding a Text Capsule (or Any Capsule)

If you want to publish your Hub but are not ready to publish a particular Text Capsule within it, check the “Don’t display this capsule” box. You will be able to see this Text Capsule in your draft of a Hub, but it will not appear in your published Hub. When you are ready for this capsule to appear, simply un-check the box. This option is helpful if you want to wait for a certain amount of time before making certain parts of your Hub public.

How To Use the Photo Capsule

The Photo Capsule allows you to upload photos or images to your Hub, either from your computer or from a Web address.

To start...

Click the edit button.

Give the capsule an optional subtitle, if you like.

There are three options in the Photo Capsule: Upload, Import, and My Photos.

To upload a picture from your computer, click "Upload" and choose up to 20 images to upload (GIF, JPG, or PNG).

To select more than one photo, hold down the Ctrl key (or the Apple key on a Mac) on your keyboard while clicking on the files with your mouse.

Once you've selected all the images you'd like to upload, click the "Open" button.

Depending on your photos' size, it might take a few minutes to upload them all. For each image, you can choose to add a caption that will display beneath the picture.

If you want to load images from a Web address instead, choose "Import" button and enter the Web addresses - or URLs - for the images.

Please make sure you only load images you have the right to publish.

HubPages stores all of your photos for you. If you would like to use a photograph that you have already uploaded, choose the "My Photos" tab and choose the image(s) you'd like to display.

When you have uploaded all the images you want for this capsule, choose how you want them displayed in your Hub. The default view shows all the images without a border, but if you would like a border, click on the drop down box and click "with border" to display with a border; you can also have your photographs displayed as a thumbnail from this dropdown box. This is a good idea if you have a lot of photos to display.

To reorder your photos, simply drag and drop them while in edit mode of the Photo Capsule.

Finally, click the "Save" button to save your images.

Photo Recommendations

Only use original photos or photos that you have the rights to display.

Create multiple Photo Capsules that correspond with the text. A high-quality, useful photo can be more influential than text!

Never use watermarked or pixelated photos.

Try to upload the largest, highest-resolution photo possible.

Give your photo a description by adding words into the "Caption" box. Images with descriptions are far more likely to show up in the results of image search engines, which are yet another avenue through which people can discover your Hubs.

Creativecommons.org is a great resource for photographs that are free to use.

Be Sure to Legally Use and Properly Attribute Your Photos!

How to Use the Video Capsule

The Video Capsule allows you to embed online video content directly into your Hub. The Video Capsule supports video from Vimeo and YouTube.

To add the Video Capsule to your Hub:

Click its icon, which can be found amidst the other capsule options. The capsule will then appear at the bottom of your Hub draft.

Position the capsule as desired (You can move it up by clicking the capsule’s arrows or by adjusting its position in the sidebar).

Click the "edit" button of the capsule

Add an optional subtitle

Insert the video URL or embed code of a video into the video field. The best way to do this is by copying and pasting the text.

Click the “preview video” button. If the code is copied correctly, a preview of your video should appear below.

Click the "Save" button.

Your video will now be viewable!

If you want to make the video smaller and justified to the right, click the right-pointing arrow when not in the capsule's edit mode. You can also reorder your capsules in the Hub Control Tabs to the far right. To right justify a capsule from the Hub Control Tabs, double click on it.

Start an Embedded YouTube at a Specific Timestamp

If you would like to start an embedded YouTube video at a certain timestamp, there are two ways to do it:

When viewing the video you wish to embed on YouTube, pause the video at the time you want to start, navigate to Share, check the box for "Start at" time, and copy the link.

Add "&t=time" at the end of any YouTube URL, where time is in the format hours, minutes, and seconds. For example, to start a video at 1:45, add &t=1m45s.

Please Note: Vimeo does not support embedding videos with a timestamp.

The Map Capsule

The Map Capsule allows you to embed maps into your Hubs to give an all-encompassing view of a particular area. With the Map Capsule, you can present readers with a traditional map, a satellite image, or a view of the terrain. Each map gives readers the option to view additional walking, biking, or driving directions. Depending on the location mapped, viewers may also have the ability to view your location via Google Street View, which allows them to amble along the very streets you describe in your Hub.

The Map Capsule is a great way to augment or improve Hubs on travel, shopping, restaurants, historical events, sports, and pretty much anything else. Imagine- you can create a Map Capsule outlining your favorite hike or bar crawl, and allow users to poke around- via Google Street View- your favorite district of London. Go back to your past Hubs and see how they might be improved with the Map Capsule- and have fun writing new posts that revolve around it!

How to Use the Map Capsule

Using the map capsule is just about as easy as using Google Maps- the only additional steps involve customizing added information! By following these brief steps below, you'll create a useful, informative map to compliment your writing in no time flat.

Click to add the Map Capsule to your Hub - its window will pop up.

Title the capsule if you like (this is not mandatory).

Select the default map type using the dropdown menu- you can choose to display your map as a roadmap, satellite image, or in terrain.

Type the address or name of your location in the "Enter an address:" text box, then click on the "search" button.

If your address or name reads, it will pop up below in bold with hyperlinked text reading "Pin a marker" or "just go to this location" following; if it does not, try again with a more specific address or well-known location name.

If multiple locations show up in your search, select the location of your choice by clicking on one of the links.

If you click the "Pin a marker" link, a window will pop up allowing you to name your location and give a short (max 150 characters) description of it, as well as check and change the address. When you are finished entering and editing your information, click "done." The window will be reduced to a bar listing the location name and the location's marker will show up on the map.

To add an additional location, repeat steps four through seven for as many locations as you like. When you have added in all desired locations, pan the map to your desired viewpoint using your mouse. Click the save button at the top of the capsule window That's it! Have fun!

Viewing the Map Capsule

As a reader, there are many things you can do with the Map Capsule:

Zoom in and out to view locations close-up or from afar by using the zoom controls or double clicking on the mouse (to zoom in).

Hover your mouse over location markers to view exact addresses.

Double click on location markers to read Hubbers' descriptions.

Change viewing settings to map, satellite, hybrid, or terrain by selecting your choice in the top right corner of the map.

Drag the yellow figure in the top left-hand corner to any location on the map to bring yourself into street view, which allows you to view locations of interest from the ground.

Get directions by clicking on the "show route and directions" button below the map. This will open a series of instructions belo the Hub. Using the drop-down menus, you can choose between walking, bicycle, and driving directions, and view distance in miles or kilometers. If you want to get directions to one of these locations from another starting point, click "hide route and directions" and click on the "[get directions]" link next to the destination of interest.

The Table Capsule

Benefits & Uses of the Table Capsule

The Table Capsule allows you to share a great deal of information in a simple and convenient manner. Readers love tables because they can serve as handy reference guides and enable them to skip around to find exactly what they're looking for.

Table Capsules are exceedingly versatile, and can be used in Hubs across all Topics. Here are some common uses:

Technical specs for products (e.g. weight, speed, memory...)

Timetables (GREAT for travel Hubs!)

Price / feature comparisons (great for product and service reviews)

Financial templates (e.g. budgets)

Lists in general (especially detailed lists that involve a variety of steps and tasks)

Schedules (e.g. kids' chores, workout suggestions...)

Lists of historical events (showing date, people involved, activity)

Comparisons of policy (e.g. across political parties or businesses)

How To Use the Table Capsule

To include the Table Capsule in your Hub:

Click on the Table Capsule icon in the Capsule Palette (at the top right corner of the HubTool) and reposition it as desired.

Click the "edit" button and add a subtitle if you like. You have several options when it comes to entering data into your table.

You can enter information into the table manually or import it from another location. If you wish to upload data from your computer, check the “My Computer” radio button, click “Choose file,” and select any csv (comma separated values) file from your computer. If you are uploading a larger file, keep in mind that this may take some time. If you have an online csv from which you wish to draw information, select “The Web” radio button, and enter in the URL of your file of interest, then click “load.”

To customize your table’s appearance and functionality, select a style from the dropdown menu, and determine whether or not you would like to make the table sortable by checking the related checkbox or leaving it blank.

To insert, clear, or delete rows or columns, or to bold selected text, utilize the dropdown menus directly above the table, then click "update."

When you are finished editing your table, you may wish to add a caption describing your table.

Once all of your information is entered, formatted, and captioned, click “Save.”

Creative Uses for the Table Capsule

The Table Capsule can be used for all sorts of things ranging from summaries of additional information, timetables, pricing guides, diagnostics, and even instructions. Find some inspiration from the examples above, created by Hubbers just like you.

Creative Uses of the Table Capsule for Inspiration

Click thumbnail to view full-size

The Table Capsule used to describe drug interactions | Source

The Table Capsule used to aid troubleshooting | Source

The Table Capsule used to describe properties and compatible ingredients | Source

The Table Capsule used to provide inspiration for sentences | Source

Word Requirement for Amazon Capsule Products

To ensure the integrity of HubPages, we have implemented new rules in regards to Amazon Capsules. All Hubs must have at least 100 original words for every product listed, e.g., if you have three Amazon products listed, you must have at least 300 words of text.

How to Use the Amazon Capsule on HubPages

The Amazon Capsule enables you to share relevant products with readers.

To include the Amazon Capsule in your Hub:

Click its icon and reposition it as desired.

Click the "edit" button and add a subtitle if you like. At this point, you have the option to enter in a specific product, or simply share results for a specific keyword search.

If you have a specific product on Amazon.com that you wish to showcase, click the “Choose specific products” button. You will then be prompted with a text box into which you can enter in a specific Amazon URL, ASIN, or ISBN. The easiest option is typically to enter in a URL.

If you like, you may add your own description of the item by clicking “add description.”

We recommend this option so that your readers are given the most relevant product.

You do not have to have specific products in mind to include the Amazon Capsule in your Hub; to enter search terms instead of a specific product code or URL:

Select the “Choose keywords” option and enter in specific keywords related to the content of your Hub.

If you would like to limit the product area of your search, utilize the dropdown menus.

When you are finished entering in a specific item and description for a specific product, or keywords and restrictions for general searches, click the “Preview Amazon Results” button to be sure that the results are to your liking.

When you are pleased with the results and wish to make no further changes, click Save.

Be careful when using keyword-selected products, since they are more likely to be unrelated to your Hub's content. Always check to make sure any products you include are directly related to the subject of the Hub they are displayed in (e.g. don't list options to buy power tools in a Hub about the history guitars).

A note about Amazon product pricing availability:

For Amazon product prices in HubPages' Amazon capsules, we use the Amazon API to determine the "LowestNewPrice" from the US Amazon site.

This information may not be not available for a small subset of products, even though a price is listed on the Amazon site. In these instances "price not available" shows in the Amazon product capsule. In this case the HubPages' Amazon capsule is working properly. You may be able to work around this Amazon issue if you can find a different product listing that has valid pricing information.

A Note About Product Listing Caps

You can only feature one product per Amazon capsule.

Before April 2013, it was possible to feature more products per capsule, however we reduced the limit to avoid unnecessary clutter being added to Hubs (to improve readers' experiences).

Should you edit an old Amazon Capsule listing more than one product, the number of product listings will automatically be reduced to one. Capsules left unedited will see no change in the number of products listed.

The Poll Capsule

How to Use the Poll Capsule

The Poll Capsule gives you the opportunity to elicit feedback and engage with your audience.

To include a poll in your Hub:

Click its icon and reposition it as desired.

Click the edit button and add a subtitle if you like.

Start by typing or pasting you question into the first text bar, then enter potential answers.

To add additional choices, click the “Add another answer choice” button and another text bar will appear. If you added one option too many, you can remove it by clicking on the red “X” button. That said, you must have a minimum of two answers available.

When you are finished entering information, click save.

Editing Your Poll Capsule: Be Careful!

Keep in mind that if you change a Poll Capsule after it has been published, all previous votes will be deleted. For this reason, it is best to check the “don’t display this capsule” button when saving until you are absolutely sure the capsule is ready to be shared with the public.

The Quiz Capsule

How to Use the Quiz Capsule

The Quiz Capsule enables you to quiz your readers in a variety of formats.

To include the Quiz Capsule in your Hub:

Click its icon and reposition it as desired.

Click the edit button and add a subtitle if you like.

You have three types of quizzes you can create using this capsule. The first option is to pose questions that have exactly one correct answer each. The second option is to give different answers with different weights. The third option is to make a quiz with multiple possible results.

Quiz Type #1

If you wish to utilize the first type of quiz:

Click the “next step” button.

Add a question

Click the “add question” button. This will expand a window allowing you to type in various answers.

Check the radio button next to the correct answer.

Click done.

Continue to add questions and answers until you are finished with your quiz. You can drag and drop questions to change their order.

Finally, click “edit” in the Quiz Results bar to create specific, score-based messages that are displayed to readers when they are finished taking your quiz.

When you are finished adding questions and customizing responses, click save.

Quiz Type #2

The second type of quiz is the same as the first when it comes to formatting, however you must utilize the dropdown menu by each potential answer to add weight.

Quiz Type #3

The third type of quiz has a slightly different format. Instead of starting with questions, you start by adding specific results. For example, if this quiz is designed to help people find the best possible pet for their personality and lifestyle, you may enter “Dog” “Cat” “Fish” and “Bird” in as results. Every time you enter a result, you are given the option to explain the meaning of the result.

To follow through with the pet example, someone getting the “Dog” result ought to be told in so many words that, based on the answers they provided in the quiz, a dog would be the best pet for him or her. When you are finished typing in your explanation, click done. Once you have entered in all of your results and their accompanying questions, it is time to add questions. The subsequent questions and answers you create will be tied in with points you are to select via dropdown menus that will be used to contribute to the quiz-taker’s tendency toward a certain result. For example, if someone has severe allergies, you may select -5 points for a the dog, cat, and bird results, but 5 points for a fish result. When you are finished creating your quiz, click save.

Readers can take your quiz as many times as they like.

The Recipe and Ratings Capsules

By entering ingredients, instructions, and additional information associated with your recipes into Recipe Capsules instead of plain Text Capsules, you can give them a leg up in search engine results.

This is the case because Recipe Capsules are given special microformat tags, which make it easy for search engines like Google to display details about your recipe (for example, its star rating or cook time) will show up along your Hub's title and summary in search results.

HubPages offers five different Recipe Capsules: a Ratings Capsule, a Cook Time Capsule, an Instructions Capsule, and Ingredients Capsule, and a Nutriton Capsule.

The Ratings Capsule

The Ratings Capsule enables you to add star ratings to Hubs featuring recipes or reviews that will show up in search results. These ratings can make your recipe and review Hubs appear more attractive in search results, and by inviting visitors to share their opinions on recipes you have written or products, places, or services you have written about makes your Hubs more interactive.

There are three ways to use the Ratings Capsule. If you are writing a Recipe Hub, you can invite readers to review your dish by selecting Recipe Rating. If you are writing about a product, service, or place, you can augment your review by selecting Single Person Rating and giving it a star rating, or by selecting Multiple Person Rating and encouraging your readers to do the same.

Uses for the Ratings Capsule

Ratings of products you mention in a Hub

Ratings of services you describe

Ratings of places you have visited

Ratings (provided by your readers) of places, products, and services you describe

The Ratings Capsule in Action

Rate Me!

4 stars for [The Name of a Given Product/Service/Place]

Single Person Rating

Single Person Ratings augment reviews of products, places, and services. Adding a Single Person Rating to your Hub enables visitors to see your star rating and other relevant information directly in search results. To make the most of this feature, be sure to add a custom summary and at least one good photo to your Hub.

Multiple Person Rating

Multiple Person Ratings augment reviews of products, places, and services in a social manner. Adding a Multiple Person Rating to your Hub enables visitors to give their own star rating to a product, place, or service you describe and view the collective rating of the subject in question summarized in your Hub and in search engine results.

To make the most of this feature, be sure to add a custom summary to your Hub and to bolster your content with as many high quality images as possible.

Recipe Rating

By adding a Recipe Rating to your Hub, you are adding the Recipe microformat to your Hub. This means that elements of your recipe that you include in this and various Recipe Capsules will show up in search results. To make the most of this feature, we encourage you to add as many of the other Recipe Capsules as you can.

Proper Use of the Ratings Capsule

While the Ratings Capsule is perfect for reviews of recipes, products, services, and places, it is not intended for reviews of more abstract, opinion-centered subjects, such as people, movements, politicians, and public figures. Ratings Capsules are also not intended for use with rating Hubs.

The Cook Time Capsule

The Cook Time Capsule enables you to share with your readers how long it will take to prepare a particular recipe, as well as how much food your recipe will produce. If you include the Cook Time Capsule in a Recipe Hub along with a Ratings Capsule, the information that you enter may show up along with your Hub’s title and summary in search results, making it more attractive to searchers.

The Instructions Capsule

The Instructions Capsule enables you to share the steps of preparing a particular recipe in a simple, streamlined format. We recommend entering the basic procedure of a recipe into the Instructions Capsule, then going into greater detail (with regard to technique and useful tips) in detailed Text Capsules (accompanied, ideally, by original photos) later in your Hub. This will enable readers to get the gist of your recipe very quickly while also having the ability to find additional information as needed.

The Ingredients Capsule

The Ingredients Capsule makes it easy to share ingredients and measurements in an organized, search-friendly manner. If you include the Ingredients Capsule in a Recipe Hub along with a Ratings Capsule, the ingredients you include may show up alongside your Hub’s title and summary in search results. Searchers will also be able to use special filters to find your recipe based on specific ingredients they would like to use.

You do not need to include measurements and descriptors for each ingredient you add to the Capsule, but we do recommend including as much information about your ingredients as possible.

If a recipe you are writing includes multiple sets of ingredients, use the third column to add qualifiers to each ingredient letting readers know which part of the dish they are for. For example:

1 cup sugar, for the frosting

1/3 cup milk, for the frosting

1 cup flour, for the cake

1 stick butter, for the cake

The Nutrition Capsule

If you have an accurate calculation of the nutritional value of a recipe you have written, you can share it in a polished, professional, and search-friendly fashion by entering that information into the Nutrition Capsule.

If your Hub also includes a Ratings Capsule set for Recipe Ratings, the nutritional information you enter into this capsule may also appear in search results and make your Hub easy to find for searchers seeking recipes that meet certain caloric requirements.

Calculating the Nutritional Value of Your Recipe

Check out the Recipe Calculator available through SparkRecipes. You can calculate the nutritional value of a recipe by totaling the number of calories of its component ingredients. You can also find the calories of various ingredients by going to nutritional site such as Nutrition.gov, Calorie Count, NutritionData, and CalorieKing.

There are also several smart phone apps such as GoMeals, MyFitnessPal, LIVESTRONG.COM’s Calorie Tracker, Calorie Counter by FatSecret, Tap & Track, Calorie Counter Pro, and Absolute Fitness, (many of which are free) that enable you to find the nutritional value of various foods and even create custom dishes that include the total nutritional value of their component ingredients.

When using these sites, we recommend only adding together calories of component ingredients as used in your recipes (e.g. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of sugar + one cup of butter = all the calories for pound cake) and not going on the nutritional information provided for completed dishes, whose caloric value may vary widely from that of your own recipe.

Linking on HubPages

Linking to websites or other articles that enhance your content, is easy on HubPages. There are two main ways to link on HubPages: with the Links Capsule and by using the link function in the Text Capsule (the preferred manner).

How to Use the Links Capsule

The Links Capsule allows you to share relevant links with your readers in an organized manner.

To utilize the Links Capsule:

Click its icon and adjust its position within your Hub as desired.

Click the “edit” button and add an optional subtitle.

Enter links: If you already have the URLs of the various links you wish to share, you can enter them in manually or by cutting and pasting them from a document or other Internet browser windows or tabs.

Once the URL is in the text bar, click the “add link” button. A window will pop down showing the link’s URL, it’s title, and its description. You can edit all three.

Edit the title, description, and URL as desired. To make sure that your URL still works after you have edited it, click the “test link” button. If the link does not work, text saying “Bad Link” will appear; if it does work, the resulting text will read “Link is OK.”

Click the “done” link when you are finished editing. You can always edit this link later. If you wish to delete a link, click the red “x” button.

If you would like to search for a link instead of manually adding it, or if you wish to include links to other relevant Hubs in your Hub:

Click the “edit” button of the Links Capsule.

Check the “search” radio button.

Type in a keyword, then click the “Search HubPages” button. A list of potential links will result, showing you titles, article Hubscores, and authors. Title text links to the original Hub while author text links to the profile page of the Hubber who wrote it.

If you like a particular link in this list, click the “Add link” text. Doing so will result in another expanded window allowing you to edit the URL, title, and text. You can select as many links from HubPages or other URLs as you like.

To change the order of links you have selected, drag each link to its proper location in your list.

When you are finished adding links, click the “save” button.

HubPages Standards in Regards to Linking

HubPages no longer allows Hubs to link to low quality affiliates. Hubs that link to affiliates like: Multi-level marketing, getting six-pack abs; how to get your ex back; acai berry/other "wonder supplements; watching TV on your PC; selling an eBook, etc. will not meet HubPages standards and will be moderated.

However, carefully-chosen, relevant links to other pages on the Web or on HubPages that help complement your Hub, and would be genuinely useful to someone reading your Hub, are a great way to drive up your Hub's usefulness. You can point your readers to other great resources on the Web in case they want to learn more beyond what you've written. Links that are purely promotional or lead your reader to bad affiliate pages are not allowed on HubPages, so we recommend only including links that will enhance the usefulness of your Hub!

The Code Capsule

How to Use the Code Capsule

The Code Capsule displays code as text and is for writing Hubs about code.

To include the Code Capsule in your Hub:

Click its icon and reposition it as desired.

Click the Edit button and add a subtitle if you like.

Specify your code type and desired display size using the dropdown menus. As you can see, the Code Capsule supports a variety of formats, including PHP, HTML, SQL, Ruby, and Python.

If you would not like to include line numbers with the code you share, un-check the box below.

Paste the code you wish to share into the text box.

When you are finished making changes, click Save.

Keep in mind that you have a limit of 30,000 characters, hence this capsule is intended more for samples than anything larger. Also note that the Code Capsule only displays code as text- it is not meant for real HTML, javascript, Amazon, Adsense, or any other code expected to function on the Hub.

The Comments Capsule

The Comments Capsule allows users to share their comments and feedback on a particular Hub.

The Comments Capsule is automatically included in your Hub, but you always have the option to delete or hide it should you want your Hub to be closed to comments.

How to Use the Comments Capsule

There are several settings available when it comes to moderating and receiving comments on a particular Hub. To view and change them:

Click "edit".

If you do not want comments to be visible before you approve them, check the first box. This means that an individual’s comment will be invisible until you approve it.

If you prefer that only signed-in users have the ability to post comments, check the second box. This will assure that everyone who comments on you page has a profile that you can visit.

If you want the most recent comments to appear first, click the third box.

If you would like to stop comments, you can check the fourth box. This will disable any further comments from being posted but will retain previously posted comments.

Finally, if you want to put a cap on the maximum number of comments that appear on your Hub, you can select a cap of 20, 50, or 100 by clicking on the drop down box. Its automatic default is to show all comments.

When you are finished making changes, click "Save".

Please note, you are automatically following your own Hub when you publish which means you will automatically receive an email when someone leaves a comment. If you would like to modify these settings site-wide, you are able to do so under your My Profile page and Email Settings. If you would like to modify the settings Hub-by-Hub, you have to unfollow the Hub by clicking the "unfollow" button above the comments capsule or by unfollowing the Hub when you receive an email.

You can read and moderate your comments when you are outside of edit mode or from your My Account > Comments page.

The Comments Capsule can be moved to any location you choose except for the first full-width capsule in a Hub. However, most Comments Capsules are at the end of a Hub.

The Callout Capsule

The Callout Capsule can be a great way to highlight important pieces of textual information in an attractive way.

To include the Callout Capsule in a Hub:

Click its icon and reposition it as desired.

Click the Edit button and add a subtitle if you like (note: subtitles are not displayed for the Quote Type).

Specify your callout type using the drop-down menu. You can choose from three styles: Colorbox, Classic, and Quote.

When you are finished, click Save.

There is a limit of 500 characters in the body of all Callout styles because the capsule is intended for showcasing a relatively short piece of text such that it stands out from the rest of your Hub.

Callout Capsules can only be displayed full width and there are three types to choose from:

Colorbox

The Colorbox style will center your text in a box with a grey background color. You can input a title, body, or both.

Classic

The Classic style will align your text to the left between two horizontal black bars. You can input a title, body, or both

The Quote style allows you to draw attention to specific quotes you may want to emphasize. When highlighting quotes made by others, we recommend that you input the text of the quote along with the name of the person who said it. You can also highlight a quote from your own Hub, similar to a newspaper pull-quote.

Unlike the Colorbox and Classic styles, the Quote style does not display a title.